Teacher (a Short Novel Under Construction)
Copyright© 2015 by Bill Offutt
Chapter 3
After school Monday they had the usual faculty meeting, and he was very surprised to hear that big Jim O'Reilly, an institution at the school and a major blowhard, a war lover among other traits, was leaving to take a job at the community college. "Mr. Thompson will take over the varsity, at least for now, and if anybody wants his JV, let me know, otherwise I guess he'll do both for a while." The principal produced a smile, his supercilious one.
That was news, more money, something like a thousand bucks, a job he wanted, had wanted, really wanted for a long time. Head coach. Major sport. Hot Damn! The varsity was his goal since he took that first aid course, learned how to tape ankles, something he had never done, and started coaching, ten, no, eleven years, when he was working at a junior high. Before that it had been rec department jobs, mostly, and CYO. Back before it happened and the world turned upside down and inside out.
After the meeting, the principal stopped him, a hand on his shouder. "Job's yours," the smiling man said, "but we have to advertise both positions and do interviews. Understand?" His outward manner said jovial, but almost no faculty member believed it. He was a petty tyrant with a few favorites.
The teacher nodded, pushing aside a small doubt, sure there were better qualified men out there, phony interviews were common enough. In this school system few important jobs were ever advertised before they were filled. He headed for the gym where the long-time coach was packing his stuff into a cardboard box. "You ain' gonna like this," was his greeting.
He waited, looking around. All the team pictures were gone.
"Them three big black boys, studs, they're going with me, over to the college."
To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account
(Why register?)
* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.